Greek:Dio,agapetoi,tautaprosdokontes (PAPMPN) spoudasate (2PAAM)aspiloikaiamometoiautoheurethenai (APN) eneirenen,Amplified:
So, beloved, since you are expecting these things, be eager to be
found by Him [at His coming] without spot or blemish and at peace [in
serene confidence, free from fears and agitating passions and moral
conflicts].(Amplified
Bible - Lockman)
NET:
Therefore, dear friends, since you are waiting for these things,
strive to be found at peace, without spot or blemish, when you come
into his presence.
(NET
Bible)
NLT:
And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to
happen, make every effort to live a pure and blameless life. And be at
peace with God.(NLT
- Tyndale House)
Phillips: Because, my
dear friends, you have a hope like this before you, I urge you to make
certain that such a day would find you at peace with God and man,
clean and blameless in his sight. (Phillips:
Touchstone)Wuest:
On which account, divinely loved ones, since you are looking for these
things, do your best to be found with reference to Him irreproachable
and unblamable, in peace. (Eerdmans) Young's Literal: wherefore,
beloved, these things waiting for, be diligent, spotless and unblameable,
by Him to be found in peace

Therefore
(dio) is the the strongest inferential conjunction meaning
consequently, for which cause, wherefore or for this reason (See
discussion of terms of conclusion). The basis
for his exhortations in this last section is what he has already
written. This conjunction gives us another example of the way the
apostles always link the truth about faith with conduct that should
follow. Creed should always work itself out in one's conduct. Belief
should determine behavior. What one is "looking" for should have a direct relationship to
what one is "living" for. The false teachers had "severed" this link
between belief and behavior. We see this same fatal error
creeping into modern evangelicalism, where some would teach erroneously
that one can pray a "prayer of salvation" to receive Jesus as Savior and
subsequently NEVER demonstrate one iota of change in their life for the
remainder of their life and still be assured that when they die they
will wake up in the presence of Jesus. To be sure "Once saved, always
saved" but one needs to be 100% certain that they were "Once saved"! And
when there is a "disconnect" between what one says they believe and how
they behave, they have cause to seriously doubt if they were genuinely
once saved! (see 2Cor 13:5, Jas 2:14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22,
23, 24, 25, 26-note)

In this last section Peter's
shepherd heart now prompts him to summarize his desires for his readers.
Twice in this last section Peter shows his heartfelt love and concern
for his readers addressing them as "Beloved"
(agapetos) which means "divinely loved ones"
explained further by
Wuest:

"The word for “love” is agape, used for the love that God is (1Jn
4:18), the love with which God loves the lost (Jn 3:16) and His own (Jn
13:34, 17:23). It is not Peter who is said to be loving the recipients,
although he does, but God. Peter is reminding the saints that they are
loved ones of God, loved with a divine and infinite love." As adds "The
whole paragraph runs over with Christian affection".

Look for (4328)
(prosdokao
[word study] from prós = towards - adds the
idea of “mental direction” to the already existing meaning of the verb +
dokáo = look for denoting direction of one's mind toward
something) means literally to look forward toward, to wait for, to look
for, to anticipate. It means to give thought to something that is in the
future and the context indicates whether one does this looking/waiting
in a hopeful sense, with a longing, with fear (wait with anxiety, live
in suspense), or in a neutral state of mind. It describes the attitude
saints should have as anticipating, waiting with watchfulness, being in
expectation.

Prosdokao is used here and in the preceding two verses emphasizing an earnest, patient, expectant looking and
waiting, a quality of looking that motivates us to make the daily choices we must
be diligent
to make in order to maintain a separated
lifestyle in the midst of a world gone wholly awry from the holy God's
righteous
standard. Here we see the connection between the hope which God's
promises (2Pe 1:4-note) inspire and the power for godliness
(2Pe 1:3-note) which this hopegives (cf
the same spiritual principle in 1Jn 3:2, 3)

My anxious heart, be still!
Watch, work, and pray, and then
It will not matter when
Thy Lord (Thy Lord) shall come;
At midnight, or at noon;
He cannot come too soon
To take thee home, to take thee home.Play

Look for is a present tense
participle depicts a continuing attitude of expectancy. An attitude of expectancy should make
believers receptive and tender toward exhortations concerning this
present life.
Confident expectation of a new world of righteousness should in turn
motivate and empower us (by grace) to live for peace and purity in this presentevilage
(Gal 1:4).

These
things (tauta) What are these things?
The day of God, the new heavens and the new earth, the eternal state,
the glorious Kingdom awaiting us in the presence of God forever and
ever.

Rienecker says these things refers to "a freshly
created heaven and earth where God's will is paramount" and
righteousness is a permanent "citizen" not an occasional "visitor".
What a motivation!

Literally Peter says "These things expecting"
or "these things waiting eagerly for". With this great
hope (a certainty not "I hope so") of the future before his readers, Peter now
presses upon them urgent duties concerning their present lives (v14-15)
and reminds them of the confirmatory testimony of the Apostle Paul
(v15b-16).

The first exhortation is for personal purity.
Having such a glorious hope, believers cannot live now live in idleness
and indifference.

Be diligent
(4704)
(spoudazo) (click
for in depth study of
spoudazo) do something hurriedly, with implication of
associated energy and intense effort. Do your utmost for His highest.

The aorist
imperative(the 4 main verbs in this
last section are all imperatives intended to challenge the attitude and
conduct of the reader)
presses upon the reader a sharp and urgent duty, a command to carry out
this action expediently and effectively.

"Make it your business to do this
now"!

This command stresses our personal
duty and responsibility as good soldiers of Christ Jesus (cp 2Ti 2:3, 4-note) to carry out
His order without delay and without excuse!

Spoudazo
is used only 11 times in the NT (Gal. 2:10; Eph. 4:3; 1Thess. 2:17; 2
Tim. 2:15; 4:9, 21; Tit. 3:12; Heb. 4:11; 2 Pet. 1:10, 15; 3:14) and three uses are in this short epistle:

brethren, be
all the more diligent (aorist
imperative) to
make certain about His calling and choosing you. (2Pe 1:10-note)

bediligentthat at any
time after my departure you will be able to call these things to mind.
(2Pe 1:15-note)

In Paul's last
written words before he died he like Peter uses spoudazo 3 times, the
following use giving us a sense for the energy this word calls for one
to exert: "Make
every effort
(spoudazo) to come to me soon."

Paul uses spoudazo word
to spur Timothy to fulfill his ministry and

Be diligent (aorist
imperative) to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does
not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth. (see
discussion of
2Timothy 2:15)

The writer of Hebrews uses the noun form to similarly urge his readers
onward in their Christian walk

And we desire that each one of you
show the same diligence
so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end that you may
not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience
inherit the promises."
(Heb 6:11,12-note)

Exert zealous persistence to accomplish this objective. Make every
effort you can muster so that you will be found by Him in peace,
spotless & blameless. This Christian life necessitates some spiritual
''elbow grease'' and is not simply ''let go and let God''! We have a
responsibility--that's what the activevoice in the verb spoudazo conveys.

To
be found (2147)
(heurisko) means to find after searching and so to discover (Mt
7:7), to find accidentally or without seeking (Mt 12:44), to experience
for oneself and to to obtain or procure (He 9:12). Figuratively,
heurisko speaks of a spiritual or intellectual discovery gained
through observation = reflection, perception, investigation (Ro 7:21).
Because heurisko is such a common verb and has various meanings, always
examine the context to help you discern the most appropriate definition.

Renn (Expository
Dictionary) - Heurisko is a common verb found nearly 180 times
meaning “find,” in a variety of contexts with a number of different
nuances. The meaning “find” in the general sense of “discover” is
indicated in Mt 2: 8 ff.; Mk 1:37; Lk 2:12; 11:9; Jn 1:41 ff.; Acts
4:21; Ro 7:21; 2Co. 2:13; 2Ti. 1:17; Rev. 2: 2; 9:6. The passive sense
of “be found” is indicated in relation to Mary’s supernatural encounter
with the Holy Spirit when it is recorded that she “was found” to be
pregnant (cf. Mt 1:18). Other passive uses include 1Co. 15:15; 2Co. 5:
3; Gal. 2:17; Php. 2: 8; 1Pe. 2:22; Rev. 5: 4; 16:20; 20:11 ff. There is
a significant metaphorical usage of “find” in Mt 10:39; 16:25, with the
underlying sense of “take full possession of” in relation to people
“finding” true life if they are prepared to deny themselves for the sake
of the gospel. Heurisko means “find” in the sense of “receive” in Lk
1:30, which speaks of Mary “finding favor” with God. Other references to
people “finding” such divine favor include those in Acts 7:46; 2Ti.
1:18; Heb. 4:16. See also Heb. 9:12; 11:5. The meaning “find” with the
sense of “consider,” or “make an assessment” of someone, is indicated in
Acts 24: 5 with reference to Paul’s enemies having “found” him to be a
troublemaker. See also 1Co. 4: 2. Rev. 3: 2 mentions divine assessment
of people. “Find” has the sense of “measure” in Acts 27:28, in relation
to taking soundings in deep water.

When the Lord Jesus comes, you will be found...personally
by Him. We need to be reminded of this great sobering truth. There will be
nothing hidden or overlooked in that day. Everything will be brought to
light when the Lord Jesus comes. And in this verse Peter
focuses on the
pronoun "by Him".

The idea is,
“Do your best to be found with respect to Him, in relation to Him,”
thus, with respect to His coming and at that time by Him.

the aorist infinitive...looks forward to the
definite judicial finding by Christ, the Judge, when the readers shall
stand before Him."

Because we do not know
the day or the hour of our Lord’s return, we must constantly be ready.
The believer who starts to neglect the “blessed hope” (Titus 2:13-note) will
gradually develop a cold heart, a worldly attitude, and an unfaithful
life (Lk 12:36).

Jesus encouraged
His disciples with a similar motivating exhortation

"Blessed
is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes"
(Lk 12:43)

Paul likewise prayed for the saints at Thessalonica

"Now may the
God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul
and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming
of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1Th 5:23-note)

And John expresses a similar desire in this exhortation

"And
now little children abide in Him
so that when He appears we may have confidence
and not shrink away
from Him in shame at His coming."
(1Jn 2:28)

In sum, "to be found" is
a call for us to be alert, abiding in the Vine, occupied with our
Father's work, focused on the things above not on the things of the
earth, all the while redeeming every opportunity He graciously gives us
to perform Kingdom work. And if we keep in the forefront of our mind the
glorious privilege we have of entering the Day of God, we will be
stirred in our spirits by His Spirit to be "sincere and blameless until
the day of Christ" (Php 1:10-note)
(click for discussion of "Three Divine Days")

Peace
(eirene from
eiro = to join) (clickin depth study of
eirene) pictures the
binding or joining together (what is broken or divided).

Peace
implies health, well-being, and prosperity. Eirene means to be set
at one again like Adam was related to God before the Fall in the garden
of Eden.

Peace
is the opposite of war or disturbance, a term which accurate describes
man's relationship with the Almighty prior to salvation

for if
while we were enemies,
we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son (see
noteRomans 5:10).

To faith in Christ brings a man peace WITH God and then daily walking in
communion and fellowship with Him brings us the peace OF God. And so
even after salvation if we choose to walk in darkness, we have our peace
with Him ''disturbed''. Belief in Confession and Repentance brings
restoration of fellowship (1Jn 1:6, 7, 8, 9). Peter is exhorting his readers to
make every effort...do whatever you must to maintain your communion with
God and the peace of God that is the fruit of this fellowship.

How is
your "peace-ometer"
today?
A bit on the "cool" side?
Do you have any known unconfessed sins?
Have you ask Him to search your heart?

Peter wants us to be
diligent in disciplining ourselves for godliness. He has already
informed us we have all the accoutrements we need (2Pe 1:3-note)
for this great journey of faith as we wait expectantly for the glorious
Day of God.

True Peace
is a gift of Christ (Jn 14:27)
and results in an inner repose and quietness, even in the face of
adverse circumstances. And because the peace
that God gives is independent of our circumstances, it simply defies
human understanding (Php 4:7-note).
This Greek word is the word from which our English "serene"
(clear and free of storms or unpleasant change, stresses an unclouded
and lofty tranquility) "serenity" is derived.

Webster defines peace as
a state of tranquility or quiet, freedom from disquieting or oppressive
thoughts or emotions, harmony in personal relations, a pact or agreement
to end hostilities between those who have been at war or in a state of
enmity, state of repose in contrast with or following strife or turmoil.

Peace
in colloquial Greek had two
uses, one as the word used to describe the serenity which a county enjoyed
under the just government of a good emperor. Eirene was
also used of the good order of villages which had officials called the superintendent of the village’s
eirene. In other words they were keepers of
the public peace.

Most of the NT
uses of eirene are synonymous with the
Hebrew word for peace, shalom, picturing not just freedom from trouble but everything
that makes for one's highest good. It is interesting to note that Chara
(Grace) and Eirene (Peace) both became very common Christian names in
the early church. We still see individual called Grace although none
(that I know of) called "Peace". However the name "Irene" is derived
from eirene and is not an uncommon modern name ("Irene" was the Greek
goddess of peace.)

"To be found "in peace" in that day implies that they
have put out of their lives all those things which Christ hates and
which evoke His condemnation (cf
Re 2:6-note,
Re 2:15-note,
Re 2:16-note)."

Peter is saying "I want
you to be
at total peace living without fear.

Paul in a parallel passage
wrote to Timothy explaining that

in the future there is laid
up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous
Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to
all who have loved His appearing. (see note2 Timothy 4:8)

Those who love the appearing of Christ
have no fear and no anxiety because they possess a strong sense of assurance
of their salvation and of the reality of
their Christian faith. And so they have no reason to be ashamed as John
wrote...

And now, little children,
abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not
shrink away from Him in shame at His coming. (1Jn 2:28)

And so they have no fear that
they might be swept
away in the judgment of the day of the Lord because they have an inner
peace and know all is well
between them and God. John explained this same principle in his first
epistle writing...

By this, love is perfected
with us, that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as
He is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but
perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the
one who fears is not perfected in love (1Jn 4:17, 18)

An abiding, obeying
believer is a peace filled believer who is completely comfortable even
with the thought of the anticipation of the end of the world!

SPOTLESS AND
BLAMELESS: aspilo kai amometoi:

As one writer has said "The consensus
of the apostolic witness is that, without doubt, personal purity is a
function of genuine expectant hope for the return of the Lord."

Spotless
(784)
(aspilos from a = without + spílos = spot) means
without blemish or defect (outward condition) and figuratively in a
moral sense, pure (inward character). Peter is calling for believers to
manifest the flawless integrity and uncompromising holiness.

The reference is not to our position or
standing in Christ as those justified by faith (cf Ro 8:1-note:1)
but rather refers to our moral character (our progressive
sanctification) in that coming day. The two words aspilos and amometos Peter
used in this verse are also found in reverse order in (1Pe 1:19-note)
where he described Jesus as a Lamb "unblemished and spotless".
There we see Christ as our ideal of personal purity, a vision believers
should ever hold before their gaze in anticipation of Christ's return,
the "example for (us) to follow in His steps"
(1Pe 2:21-note).
Don't follow the example of the false teachers who are "spots and
blemishes"
(2Pe 2:13-note)

Aspilos is found 4 times in
the NAS (see below) and not in the Septuagint (LXX).

Paul uses aspilos to exhort Timothy to

keep
the commandment withoutstain or reproach until the appearing of
our Lord Jesus Christ
(1Ti 6:14).
(Comment: the Second coming is a strong motivator to pursue
godliness)

In both Paul's and Peter's instructions one can readily see how the New
Testament writers desired to keep the Second Coming of Christ a
"real & present thought" in the hearts and minds of the readers, knowing
that this great hope would motivate them to walk in a manner worthy of
the calling with which they had been called.

James also uses aspilos to gives a "definition" of

"pure and
undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father" by saying
that not only were they "to visit orphans and widows in their
distress" but in all they said and did they were to "keep
(themselves) unstained (aspilos) by the world"
(Jas 1:27).

Peter uses aspilos in
his description of the Lamb of God writing that we were redeemed...

with precious blood, as of a lamb
unblemished and spotless (aspilos) the blood of Christ. (see note1Peter 1:19)

This "defensive strategy" (resisting the lure of the world) necessitates
a good offense and calls for us to "be
diligent",
for the world is seductive and easily succumbed to by "sleepy" saints.

><>><>><>

The Ermine - In the forests of northern Europe and Asia lives
little animal called the ermine, known for his snow-white fur in winter.
He instinctively protects his white coat against anything that would
soil it. Fur hunters take advantage of this unusual trait of the ermine.
They don﻿’t set a snare to catch him, but instead they find his home,
which is usually a cleft in a rock or a hollow in an old tree. They
smear the entrance and interior with grime. Then the hunters set their
dogs loose to find and chase the ermine. The frightened animal flees
toward home but doesn't enter because of the filth. Rather than soil his
white coat, he is trapped by the dogs and captured while preserving his
purity. For the ermine, purity is more precious than life. - H G Bosch (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)

Blameless
(298)
(amometosfrom a = without + momáomai
= to find fault with, censure or blame from momos = blemish as a
moral blemish, reproach, disgrace) means literally without rebuke.
Unblemished. Faultless. One who cannot be censured. The idea is one who
is irreproachable and who cannot even
be be blamed
because he is
amomos(without blemish and free of defect which was
a requirement the OT sacrificial animal) and without blame (see note on
amomosin
Philippians 2:15).

Amometos in this context
describes the state of blamelessness of believers at the Judgment Seat
of Christ ("found by Him" by Christ the Judge)

Amometos is used only here in
the NT (not used in LXX).

Spotless and blameless are the exact opposite of the character of
the false teachers who were "stains (spilos) andblemishes
(momos)" (see note on momos2 Peter 2:13)!

If you have time to do
an interesting study
Click the 45 uses of blameless
(the English word as used in both the OT and the NT). You may be surprised at what you discover.

Spotless and blameless
speak respectively of character (what we are in reality, before
God's eyes) and reputation (what people think we are). A spotless character
is what we as believers are to manifest so that there is no "blotch"
in our life. A blameless reputation is the other side of what a
believer is to manifest. Believers are to be pure in their reputation.
These two attributes that are to be ours when Christ returns mean that
we need to deal with the sins in our lives, and live
holy, set apart lives. We must know what sins we have committed, detest
them as abominable before a holy God, confess them before Him,
continually pursue holiness (He 12:14-note),
continually abstain from
situations we know will tempt us to commit sin (1Pe 2:11-note;
1Th 4:3-note;
Ro 13:14-note),
continually allow the Word of Christ to richly dwell in us (Col 3:16-note)
which as we obey will assure we are filled with the Spirit (Ep 5:18-Ephesians 5:18
- you can test whether or not you are filled by comparing the lists of
sins and fruit in Gal 5:19, 20, 21-note,
Gal 5:22, 23-note), by Whom we are to continually
walk, and thereby be empowered to not fulfill the desires of the flesh
(Galatians 5:16-note). As we conduct ourselves in this way, we will be able
to maintain a pure life, which ideally is the state the Lord
will find us in when He returns.

Beloved, since we as believers are
destined for eternal purity and eternal glory, we ought to discipline
ourselves for godliness and strive to
live in purity in our hearts and in our deeds even now. As we anticipate the coming of Christ,
we ought to be, characterized by "anticipation, pacification, purification".

As Albert Barnes wrote

A
deep feeling that we are soon to stand in the presence of a holy God,
our final Judge, cannot but have a happy influence in making us pure.
(cf Eph 5;27-note,
Col 1:22-note,
1Th 5:23-note).

This concluding exhortation by Peter reminds
us of John's description
of Christ's Bride the Church who is being prepared for the
imminent return of her Bridegroom...

Let us rejoice and be glad and give the
glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has
made herself ready. And it was given to her to clothe herself in fine
linen, bright and clean;
for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the
saints. (see notesRev 19:7;
19:8)

Diligent Men

“If I had three
hundred men who feared nothing but God, hated nothing but sin, and were
determined to know nothing among men but Jesus Christ and him crucified,
I would set the world on fire.” (John Wesley)

“Send us men with
hot hearts.” (Heathen convert)

John Wesley was
denied the privilege of preaching from the pulpit in the church; but
with true evangelistic fervor took his father’s tomb for a pulpit and
preached to the people the great truths of full salvation. Whitefield
loved field preaching. Returning from a tour he lighted a candle and
went upstairs to retire, weary after the journey; but the people
gathered in front of the house and filled the street; and there on the
stairway with a lighted candle in his hand, he preached his last
message, retired and was no more; for God took him.

John Wesley
averaged three sermons a day for fifty-four years preaching all-told
more than 44,000 times. In doing this he traveled by horseback and
carriage more than 200,000 miles, or about 5,000 miles a year. His
published words include a four-volume commentary on the whole Bible, a
dictionary of the English language, a five-volume work on natural
philosophy, a four-volume work on church history; histories of England
and Rome; grammars on the Hebrew, Latin, Greek, French and English
languages; three works on medicine, six volumes of church music; seven
volumes of sermons and controversial papers. He also edited a library of
fifty volumes known as “The Christian Library.” He was greatly devoted
to pastoral work. Later, he had the care of “all the churches” upon him.
He arose at 4:00 A.M., and worked solidly through to 10:00 P.M.,
allowing brief periods for meals. In the midst of all this work he
declared: “I have more hours of private retirement than any man in
England.” At age 83, he was piqued to discover that he could not write
more than 15 hours a day without hurting his eyes; and at the age of 86
he was ashamed to admit that he could not preach more than twice a day.
In his 86th year, he preached in almost every shire in England and
Wales, and often rode thirty to fifty miles a day.

John Knox, who
cried out in his earnestness, “Give me Scotland or I die,” carried with
him this zeal to the close of his ministry. Often he would be supported
by attendants in order to reach the pulpit; but when he arose to speak
the divine passion so filled his soul that one of his friends said: “So
mighty was he in his yearning that I thought he would break the pulpit
into bits.“

Greek:
kaitentoukuriouhemonmakrothumiansoterionhegeisthe, (2PPAM)kathoskaioagapetoshemonadelphosPauloskatatendotheisan (APPFSA) autosophianegrapsen (3SAAI) huminAmplified:
And consider that the long-suffering of our Lord [His slowness in
avenging wrongs and judging the world] is salvation (that which is
conducive to the soul's safety), even as our beloved brother Paul also
wrote to you according to the spiritual insight given him, (Amplified
Bible - Lockman)NET:
And regard the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as also our
dear brother Paul wrote to you, according to the wisdom given to him,
(NET
Bible)
NLT:
And remember, the Lord is waiting so that people have time to be
saved. This is just as our beloved brother Paul wrote to you with the
wisdom God gave him-- (NLT
- Tyndale House)Phillips: Meanwhile,
consider that God's patience is meant to be man's salvation, as our
dear brother Paul pointed out in his letter to you, written out of the
wisdom God gave him. (Phillips:
Touchstone)Wuest:
And the long-suffering of our Lord, consider it as salvation, just as
our beloved brother Paul according to the wisdom given to him, wrote
to you, (Eerdmans) Young'sLiteral: and the
long-suffering of our Lord count ye salvation, according as also our
beloved brother Paul -- according to the wisdom given to him -- did
write to you,

And
(kai) closely links this exhortation with the preceding. A
correct assessment of the Parousia will stimulate their quest for
personal holiness. While eagerly looking for the return of the Lord
Jesus, the readers (including us) must not become impatient and like
those in (2Pe 3:9-note)
wrongly interpret the delay, concluding that the failure of the Lord to
return as expected is proof that such a hope is delusion (2Pe 3:3, 4). God had
every reason long ago to judge the world and burn up its works, but in
His mercy, He is long-suffering with us, “not willing that any
should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

This is
"the acceptable time, behold now is the day of salvation"
(2Cor 6:2),
not the "day of judgment". (6x in Scripture -Matt.
10:15; 11:22, 24; 12:36; 2 Pet. 2:9; 3:7; 1 Jn. 4:17).

Believers must have a different attitude and

"consider that the long-suffering of our Lord [His slowness in avenging
wrongs and judging the world] is salvation (that which is conducive to
the soul's safety)," (Amplified).

Regard
(2233)
(hegeomai from ágo = to lead) primarily signifies to lead
or go before -- to be a leader, one who commands,
supervises; one in authority over (cp Mt 2:6, Acts 7:10, 15:22, Lk
22:26, He 13:7, 17, 24); to rule over, with the implication of
providing direction and leadership.

Hegeomai comes to mean in a figurative sense to lead out before the mind
- to consider (), regard (Acts 14:12), to think about and
come to a conclusion, to consider in a particular way, to hold a view or
have an opinion with regard to something. The sense of this meaning is to engage in an
intellectual process (eg, 2Co 9:5, Php 2:25, 2Pe 1:13)

Hegeomai was a mathematical term conveying
the idea "Think about it and come to a conclusion."

Friberg - (1) in the NT, as a present participle (leading,
governing) (Acts 15.22); participle as a substantive = the leader (Acts
14.12); plural = the (community) leaders (Heb 13.7); (2) as making a
decision after weighing the facts or circumstances consider, think, have
an opinion (James 1.2); regard, esteem with a double accusative (Phil
2.3)

Wuest
- Heurisko means “to find, to come upon, to find a thing sought, to
discover.” In the middle voice it means “to find for one’s self, to
acquire, obtain, procure.” The word thus speaks of the act, not merely
of obtaining something, but of seeking for something, of finding it, and
then of appropriating it.

James
in one of better known uses of hegeomai encourages his readers to
"think about their trials and come to the proper conclusion" regarding
their value writing...

Consider
(hegeomai - aorist imperative= Command to do
this now and do it effectively) it all joy, my brethren, when (not if
but when = they are coming!) you encounter various trials, (Jas 1:2-note)

Then
James explains why/how this is possible (ultimately it is God's grace
and the fruit of the Spirit but it is based on true knowledge of God and
what He is doing in our lives through the trials)...

knowing that the testing of your
faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result,
that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (Jas 1:3-note,
Jas 1:4-note)

hegeomai and nomizo denote a
belief resting not on one's inner feeling or sentiment, but on the due
consideration of external grounds, the weighing and comparing, of facts;
dokeo and hoiomai, on the other hand, describe a subjective judgment
growing out of inclination or a view of facts in their relation to us.
Hegeomai denotes a more deliberate and careful judgment than
nomizo; hoiomai, a subjective judgment which has feeling rather than
thought (dokeo) for its ground.

Matthew 2:6 'AND YOU, BETHLEHEM, LAND
OF JUDAH, ARE BY NO MEANS LEAST AMONG THE LEADERS OF JUDAH; FOR
OUT OF YOU SHALL COME FORTH A RULER WHO WILL SHEPHERD MY PEOPLE
ISRAEL.'"

Luke 22:26 "But it is not this way with you, but the one who is the
greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like
the servant.

Acts 7:10 and rescued him from all his afflictions, and granted him
favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he made him
governor over Egypt and all his household.

Acts 14:12 And they began calling Barnabas, Zeus, and Paul, Hermes,
because he was the chief speaker.

Acts 15:22 Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the
whole church, to choose men from among them to send to Antioch with Paul
and Barnabas-- Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men
among the brethren,

Acts 26:2 "In regard to all the things of which I am accused by the
Jews, I consider myself fortunate, King Agrippa, that I am about
to make my defense before you today;

2 Corinthians 9:5 So I thought it necessary to urge the brethren
that they would go on ahead to you and arrange beforehand your
previously promised bountiful gift, so that the same would be ready as a
bountiful gift and not affected by covetousness.

Philippians 2:3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with
humility of mind regard one another as more important than
yourselves;
6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard
equality with God a thing to be grasped,
25 But I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my
brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger
and minister to my need;

Philippians 3:7 But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have
counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 More than that, I
count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of
knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all
things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,

1 Thessalonians 5:13 and that you esteem them very highly in love
because of their work. Live in peace with one another.

2 Thessalonians 3:15 Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but
admonish him as a brother.

1 Timothy 1:12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me,
because He considered me faithful, putting me into service,

1 Timothy 6:1 All who are under the yoke as slaves are to regard
their own masters as worthy of all honor so that the name of God and our
doctrine will not be spoken against.

Hebrews 10:29 How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve
who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as
unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has
insulted the Spirit of grace?

Hebrews 11:11 By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive,
even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him
faithful who had promised.
Hebrews 11:26 considering the reproach of Christ greater riches
than the treasures of Egypt; for (always pause to query this strategic
term of explanation
- What does "for" explain
in this context?) he was
looking to the reward.

Hebrews 13:7 Remember
those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and
considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.

Hebrews 13:17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they
keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them
do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for
you.

Hebrews 13:24 Greet all of your leaders and all the saints. Those
from Italy greet you.

James 1:2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter
various trials,

2 Peter 1:13 I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly
dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder,

2 Peter 2:13 suffering wrong as the wages of doing wrong. They count
it a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are stains and blemishes,
reveling in their deceptions, as they carouse with you,

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count
slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but
for all to come to repentance.

2 Peter 3:15 and regard
the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother
Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you,

(Ex 13:21) The LORD was
going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the
way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they
might travel by day and by night.

(Exod 23:23) “For My angel will go
before you and bring you in to the land of the Amorites, the
Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hivites and the Jebusites;
and I will completely destroy them.

(Proverbs 16:18) Pride goes before
destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling.

Regard is in the present tense imperative
moodhere in 2Peter calls for believers to
continually consider the reason for the delay, giving it careful thought
and not making a quick decision.

To "regard" involves careful thought, not a
quick decision. An excellent illustration of the meaning of hegeomai is
found in the life of Moses, the author of Hebrews recording that...

"By
faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of
Pharaoh's daughter; choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the
people of God, than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin (why did
he make this choice? because he was) considering
(hegeomai) the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of
Egypt; for he was looking to the reward." (Hebrews 11:24-26)

Moses
thought through his decision, weighing the pros and cons. He weighed
what Egypt had to offer against what God offered. When he reached a
conclusion it was well-founded and certain. God’s offer even though
unseen was infinitely
superior to Pharaoh's offer that could be seen.
Moses believed that the worst he could endure for Christ would be far more
valuable than the best the world had to offer.

Do you believe this is true beloved?
If so, does your belief affect your choices? If it doesn't, then you
really don't believe it's true and you are only deceiving and short
changing yourself.

In (2Peter 3:9)
(see
note) we see that the longsuffering (makrothumeo) of God gives opportunity for repentance and salvation
those who place their trust in the Lord Jesus. God waits
that He may be gracious. The history of the
world between the first and second coming of Christ is, above all, an
age of salvation. The Savior has come and opened the way to God.

Salvation
(4991)
(soteria)
(Clickdiscussion of
soteria) describes rescue or deliverance from danger,
destruction, peril and slavery to and consequences of sin and unto
restoration to a former state of safety, health, well being and
preservation from danger of destruction. The root verb sozo (see
discussion)
is dramatically illustrated by Peter's cry to Jesus in (Mt 14:30)

Salvation
carried tremendous meaning in Paul’s day. Its basic meaning is “deliverance,”
and it was applied to personal and national deliverance. The emperor was
looked on as a savior, as was the physician who healed you
of illness.

Salvation
in the present verse does not have the definite article and so can refer in a sense to all three "tenses" of salvation
(see discussion of
Three Tenses of Salvation).
God is waiting and giving time for unbelievers to be saved, delivered,
justified (declared righteous), delivered from the guilt and penalty of
sin, a one time event summed up as PAST
tense salvation (Justification).

Further God's waiting gives the believer time to be working out his
salvation, progressively being set apart from the world and unto God and
being delivered more and more from the habit and dominion of sin (PRESENT
tense salvation = the process of sanctification).

Our past and present tense salvation is
preparation for our FUTURE salvation when we will finally
be fully delivered not only from the presence of sin but even from the
pleasure of sin (Glorification
also a one time event). JUST AS ALSO
OUR BELOVED BROTHER PAUL ACCORDING TO THE WISDOM GIVEN HIM WROTE TO YOU: kathos kai o agapetos hemon
adelphos Paulos kata ten dotheisan (APP)
autoi sophian egrapsen humin:
(Ex 31:3,6; 35:31,35; 1Ki 3:12; 3:28, 4:29; Ezra 7:25; Pr 2:6,7; Eccl
2:26; Da 2:20; 21 Lk 21:15; Acts 7:10; 1Co 2:13; 12:8; Ja 1:5; 3:17)

Just
as...Paul wrote - This could refer to Ro 2:4 (note)
where Paul accused the reader's of thinking lightly of God's "kindness
and forbearance and patience", this kindness being a reflection
of the "patience of the Lord" which "...leads...to
repentance"
(compare Peter's teaching in 2Pe 3:9-note)
that God does not wish "for any to perish but for all to come to
repentance".)
Both Peter and Paul teach that God's withholding judgment is an act of
patience that should be regarded as giving added time for repentance and
salvation. By calling in Paul's support, Peter shows that there is
agreement among the apostles. The false teachers may reject the Second
coming of Christ. But the apostles of Jesus are united: Christ is coming
and the time while He delays is for our salvation.

Peter speaks of
Paul as ourbelovedbrother
, and this in spite of the fact that Paul had publicly rebuked Peter in
Antioch for acting insincerely (Gal
2:11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21).
Obviously Peter had accepted the rebuke humbly. We should all be able to
accept correction without harboring animosities. Peter gives not the
least hint that he harbored any grudge against Paul.

Wisdom
given to him - Tantamount to the inspired Scriptures, as Paul was moved
by the Holy Spirit to write them down. Cp 2Pe 1:20, 21, 2Ti 3:16.

Given
(didomi) refers to a decision of the will of the giver
with no merit of recipient. Aorist tense refers to effective,
past tense action and passive voice indicates the giving comes
from an outside source, in this case God (cf
1Cor 2:11-12, 2Pe 1:20-21)

Paul's
wisdom
is not learned human wisdom but wisdom that is divinely imparted (given
him). James described the wisdom
"from above" as "first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full
of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy."
(Jas 3:17)
Paul often spoke of the grace given
to him (cf Ro 15:15, 1Cor 3:10, Gal 2:9, Eph 3:7, Col 1:25).

Wisdom (4678)
(sophia) (click
for in depth study of
sophia) describes the ability to judge
correctly and to follow the best course of action, based on knowledge
and understanding

Peter's use of wisdom (sophia)
rather than the more general term grace calls attention to
the God-given insight into the truths of the gospel which characterized
Paul's letters. That
wisdom
enabled him to see and stress the practical moral implications of those
truths for holy living.

Greek:oskaienpasaisepistolaislalon (PAPMSN) enautaisperitouton,enaisestin (3SPAI) dusnoetatina,aoiamatheiskaiasteriktoistreblousin (3PPAI) oskaitasloipasgraphasprosthnidianautonapoleian.Amplified:
Speaking of this as he does in all of his letters. There are some
things in those [epistles of Paul] that are difficult to understand,
which the ignorant and unstable twist and misconstrue to their own
utter destruction, just as [they distort and misinterpret] the rest of
the Scriptures. (Amplified
Bible - Lockman)NET:
speaking of these things in all his letters. Some things in these
letters are hard to understand, things the ignorant and unstable twist
to their own destruction, as they also do to the rest of the
scriptures. (NET
Bible)NLT:
speaking of these things in all of his letters. Some of his comments
are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have
twisted his letters around to mean something quite different from what
he meant, just as they do the other parts of Scripture--and the result
is disaster for them. (NLT
- Tyndale House)Phillips: In that
letter, as indeed in all his letters, he referred to these matters.
There are, of course, some things which are difficult to understand,
and which, unhappily, ill-informed and unbalanced people distort (as
they do the other scriptures), and bring disaster on their own heads.
(Phillips:
Touchstone)Wuest:
as also in all his letters, speaking in them concerning these things,
in which letters are certain things difficult of being understood
which those who are unlearned and lacking stability distort [from
their proper meaning] as also the rest of the scriptures to their own
destruction. (Eerdmans) Young'sLiteral: as also in all the
epistles, speaking in them concerning these things, among which things
are certain hard to be understood, which the untaught and unstable do
wrest, as also the other Writings, unto their own destruction.

AS ALSO IN ALL
HIS LETTERS SPEAKING IN THEM OF THESE THINGS IN WHICH ARE
SOME THINGS HARD TO UNDERSTAND: Hos ka in pasais epistolais lalon (PAPMSN) en autais peri touton en hai estin (3SPAI) dusnoeta:(Heb 5:11)

As
also (os kai) is
used by Peter to add a unique confirmation from the writings of Paul.
Thus what Paul has written is in full accord with and in complete
harmony with Peter's teaching. From the following phrases it appears
that some were appealing to their own twisted interpretations of Paul's
letters to support their teaching in opposition to Peter.

Speaking
(laleo) (click
for study of
laleo) is present tense indicating that after serving
their original purpose, Paul's epistles continued to proclaim their
message of "these
things",
those things probably in context referring to the whole picture of the
Second Coming with which this chapter deals.

Some
Bible truths are difficult to understand, such as the Trinity, God’s election
and man’s free will, the mystery of suffering, etc. It should not
disturb us if we find matters in the Bible which are above our
understanding. The word of God is infinite and inexhaustible. In
studying it we must always be willing to give God credit for knowing
things which we can never fully fathom.

><>><>><>

At
lunch one day, W. Wilbert Welch, chancellor of the Grand Rapids Baptist
College and Seminary, told a story about one of his professors, Dr.
Brokenshire, a godly and gifted scholar with a thorough knowl­edge of
Scripture. "I remember our first day in class," Welch recalled. "The
professor didn't know us by name yet, so he referred to some cards in
his hand. Looking up, he said, `Mr. Green?' The student identified
himself. `Mr. Green, do you have any problems with the Bible?' `No,
sir,' replied the confident new student. Brokenshire replied, `Then why
don't you read it? You will."

A thoughtful reading of the Bible will raise questions. Peter said that
Paul's writings contained "some things hard to understand" (2 Pet.
3:16). Sometimes we see only one side of a truth, or we come across what
seems like a contradiction. Then there are the bigger prob­lems—divine
election and human freedom, the origin of evil, the rea­son for pain and
suffering. But these perplexities need not undermine our confidence in
the Bible.

Untaught
(261) (amathesfrom a = without
+ mantháno = learn) means those who are unlearned, uninstructed,
uneducated or ignorant. It is used in secular Greek writings to describe
"incompetent" interpreters.
This word is used only here in the NT.

Amathes points not so much to their lack of knowledge as
to lack of training. It denotes a mind untrained and undisciplined in
habits of thought, lacking in the moral qualities of a balanced
judgment. They are untrained and unrestrained in their interpretation of
the Scriptures. Being ignorant of the fundamental principles of
hermeneutics (study
of the methodological principles of Scripture interpretation),
these
individuals have little appreciation for the inductive approach to Bible
study, especially disregarding the importance of context in accurate
interpretation. Note that their interpretation is not due to Paul's
faulty manner of writing but rather to their faulty manner of reading.

Peter
has the only other NT use of asteriktos describing the influence of
the false teachers who were
skilled in "enticing unstable souls" (2Pe 2:14-note)

These
individuals are vacillating in their spiritual character. They
lack the spiritual stability and are thus unable to adhere to the moral
demands of the Lordship of Christ, which conflict with their inner
desires for self-indulgence.

Both "untaught"
and "unstable"
are united by one article which identifies a single group exhibiting
both of these characteristics. These individuals take difficult passages
and "wrest" them to their own ruin. Contrast Peter's description of the
believers as those who had been "established" (see
note2Peter 1:12)

Distort
(4761)
(strebloofrom strepho = twisted) means to wrench, to
torment, to twist or to distort.

Herodotus used strebloo to convey the idea of to twist or wrench
a dislocated limb, with a view to setting it.

This
verb is used only here in the NT (and once in the Septuagint =LXXin 2Sa 22:27 and 5
times in the Apocrypha).

A stréble was a
winch, an
instrument that produced torture by twisting or pulling one's limbs out
of joint. Thus one meaning of the verb strebloo was to put to the
rack.

In one
secular writing strebloo was used metaphorically to describe one
who was "tortured by anxiety" and thus spoke of inward pain or torment.

Metaphorically, strebloo meant to pervert as one who wrests or
tortures language to a false sense. Peter thus chose a singularly graphic word to picture the
tortuous perversion of the Scriptures.

The
untaught and unstable "twisted and tortured" the writings of Paul producing distortion and perversion
of his intended meaning. It was the continual practice (strebloo
is in the present tense
= habitual action) of the "untaught and unstable" to take Paul's
statements and twist them like victims on a rack to force them to say
what they wanted them to say.

Some accused Paul of teaching that, since we are saved
by grace, it makes no difference how we live! It was “slanderously
reported” that Paul taught, “Let us do evil that good may come” (Ro 3:8;
cf. Ro 6:1ff). Others accused Paul of being against the Law because he
taught the equality of Jews and Gentiles in the church (Gal 3:28) and
their liberty in Christ.

AS THEY DO ALSO THE REST OF THE SCRIPTURES: os ka tas loipas graphas:

Therest
(3062) (loipoy) remaining or residue referring to the Scriptures
other than Paul's thus identifying Paul's writing as Scripture. Note
that Peter gives a very high place to Paul's writings, on a par with "the
rest of the Scriptures",
i.e. the Old Testament Scriptures
and whatever portions of the ﻿NT were then available. Peter clearly
acknowledges that the Pauline Epistles were part of the inspired sacred
Scriptures.
This in fact is the most clear cut statement on the pages of Scripture
to affirm the writings of Paul are Scripture.

Scriptures(1124)(graphe [word study]
from grapho = to write; English = graphite - the lead in a pencil!)
means first a writing or thing written, a document. The majority of the NT
uses refer to the Old Testament writings, in a general sense of the whole
collection when the plural (= Scriptures - Matt. 21:42; 22:29; 26:54;
Mk. 12:24; 14:49; Lk. 24:27, 32, 45; Jn. 5:39; Acts 17:2, 11; 18:24, 28; Ro
15:4; 2Pe 3:16) is used and other times of a particular passage when the
singular is used (= the Scripture - Mk. 12:10; 15:28; Lk. 4:21; Jn.
13:18; 19:24, 36f; Acts 1:16; 8:35; Ro 11:2; Jas. 2:8, 23) and is used in
such a way that quoting Scripture is understood to be the same as quoting
God!

Jesus himself viewed the Old
Testament scriptures as fully authoritative and binding when properly
interpreted and applied (Mt 5:17-). They were the word of God (cf. Mk
7:13). Peter taught in 2Pe 1:20,21 that prophetic scripture (and I think
he would include all of the Old Testament) was inspired by God as men
were moved by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, when he puts Paul's letters in
this same category, he is, I believe, claiming an equal inspiration and
authority for Paul. He confirms what Paul claimed for himself. Paul said
of his own teaching in 1Co 2:13 "We impart this in words not taught by
human wisdom but taught by the Spirit." This is why the Bible stands at
the center of Christian life. It is why this pulpit is at the center of
the front and is lifted up. For we believe the Bible is the inspired
word of God -- that it stands before us as our guide and over us as our
judge, and under us as the rock of our hope. John Wesley wrote in the
preface of his Standard Sermons: "I am a spirit come from God and
returning to God; just hovering over a great gulf; 'til a few moments
hence I am no more seen; I drop into an unchangeable eternity! I want to
know one thing -- the way to heaven … He hath written it down in a book.
O give me that book! At any price, give me the book of God! I have it:
here is knowledge enough for me. Let me be homo unius libri (a man of
one book)." O that we might be a people of the book. "Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of
sinners nor sits in the seat of scoffers, but his delight is in the law
of the Lord and on his law he meditates day and night (Ps 1). The
apostles are united with each other and with the Old Testament in
one great inspired book of God. The more you read it the more you will
see with the eyes of God." (bolding added) (Click
full sermon)

To
- This is the Greek preposition "pros" which means toward
or before and so pictures such action as placing men face to
face with their ruin.

Own
(idios)
intensifies the idea even more - their own personal ruin.
And so in their futile attempts to distort and destroy the Bible, they
end up destroying themselves. Note that their own ruin is not due to the
nature of the Scriptures but rather to their own deceitful handling of
the Scriptures for evil purposes. Evil men will always be prone to
utilize passages that are difficult to understand to promote their own
ungodly purposes.

To
their own destruction - Perversion of
the Scriptures insures perdition.

Destruction
(684)
(apoleiafrom apo =
marker of separation, away from + olethros = ruin, death but
not annihilation <> from ollumi = to destroy) (see study of related word
apollumi) refers not to their
"annihilation" as some so-called evangelicals are teaching but in fact
specifies
the eternal, utter, hopeless loss of well-being and all that gives worth
to existence. In context, apoleia is the ultimate "destruction"! Some twist the law into a way of salvation rather than a revealer of sin while
still others make water baptism the door to heaven. They
do this not only with Paul’s writings but with other Scriptures as well.
And those who blindly twist the Scriptures do so "to
their own destruction.”

Apoleia in
one sense means the destruction that one causes as the result of
disregard for the value of that which is destroyed or "wasted" (see
apoleia used this way by the disciples -- Mt 26:8, Mark 14:4).

The more common
sense of apoleia is as a description of the destruction which
one experiences, when man instead of becoming what he might have become
by redemption through the blood of Christ (new creature/creation in
Christ - 2Cor 5:17), is ruined ("spiritually bankrupt", in a state of
"eternal disrepair") suffering loss of value or usefulness (ultimately
usefulness to God - this is sad beyond words and even as I write this
note tears well up in my eyes for the plight of these men and women,
created in the image of God.) Think of the picture of a once beautiful
edifice which has suffered the ravages of time and circumstances and all
that one sees is the useless, collapsed, disintegrated remains.

In short,
apoleia speaks of the loss of everything that makes human existence
(in time and eternity) worthwhile. The idea is not loss of being,
but loss of well-being!

And so in this
sense apoleia describes utter ruin, complete loss and is used
especially of the eternal destruction (the second death - see chart below)
visited on the ungodly. It is the wasteful end of earthly existence with
no chance for a fulfilling future existence. Note however that there is
a sense that the ungodly have "wasted" their one life on earth. What a
tragic picture irregardless of how much wealth, pleasure or power they
might have experienced while they were alive.

Notice
that Peter was not writing about Christians who have a difficult time
interpreting the Word of God, because nobody understands all of the
Bible perfectly. He was describing the false teachers who “tortured” the
Word of God in order to prove their false doctrines.

Another way to put this is that the interpretation of Scripture is a
matter of life and death. (Jas 3:1)

Let not many of you become teachers,
my brethren, knowing that as such we shall incur a stricter judgment.

Why?
Because the eternal destiny of the people hangs on how they interpret
the Scripture.

><>><>><>

From Our
Daily Bread: An art enthusiast displayed on the walls of his office a collection of
etchings, including one of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Every morning he
noticed it was crooked, so he straightened it. Finally one evening he
asked the cleaning woman if she was responsible for moving the picture
each night. "Why, yes," she said, "I have to hang it crooked to make the
tower straight!"
In a similar way, some people have the habit of twisting the Scriptures
to make their imperfect lives look better or to justify their own
opinions. The apostle Peter warned his readers about the kind of people
who do not approach God's Word with honest motives and respect for its
authority, and who distort its message. They will incur God's judgment
(2Pe 3:16, 17).
Unless we review the Bible prayerfully and humbly, we may get a wrong
message and be drawn away from our steadfastness in Christ. God gave us
His Word as a light to guide our steps. If we obey it each day, we will
find it to be an unfailing source of strength and truth. Distorting the
meaning of the Word of God to fit our preconceived ideas is a dangerous
practice and a terrible sin. Let's be careful how we read and interpret
the Bible. --H G Bosch (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted
by permission. All rights reserved)

O send Thy Spirit, Lord, now unto me
That He may touch my eyes and make me see;
Show me the truth concealed within Thy Word,
And in Thy Book revealed I see Thee, Lord. --Groves

We must align ourselves with the Bible,
never the Bible with ourselves.

DOWNLOADInstaVerse
for free. It is an easy to
install and simple to use Bible Verse pop up tool that allows you to read
cross references
in context and in the Version you prefer. Only the KJV is free with
this download but you can also download a free copy of Bible Explorer
which in turn offers free Bibles
that work with InstaVerse,
including the excellent, literal translation, the English Standard Version
(ESV). Other popular versions are available for purchase. When you
hold the mouse pointer over a Scripture reference anywhere on the Web (as
well as offline in Word for Windows, email, etc) the passage pops up
immediately. InstaVersecan be disabled if the
popups become distractive. This utility really does work and makes it easy
to read the actual passage in context and not just the chapter and verse
reference.